


Little Ghost

by Nitonami



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Character Death, Highschool AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-08
Updated: 2014-05-08
Packaged: 2018-01-14 23:33:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1282759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nitonami/pseuds/Nitonami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I want you to tell Annabeth something for me."<br/>"She's not going to listen."<br/>"Just tell her I'm sorry. C'mon, please?"<br/>"Percy, you don't understand-"<br/>"Nico, I need you to do this. C'mon-"<br/>"Percy, you died! You're dead! She's going to think I'm crazy!"</p>
<p>Or Nico can see ghosts, Percy figures out that being a ghost can have its benefits, and everyone's wondering why Nico took a sudden interest in talking to the air.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know I have another story going on that I need to focus on, but this idea came to me the other day and wouldn't really go away, so I felt the need to write this. I hope you guys like it! I still don't have a beta, so I apologize for any errors in it!

Summer was Nico's least favourite time of the year. It was too hot, too bright, and just too damn sad. If you asked him, Nico couldn't tell you how many people died in the summer. There were just too many to count. Missing people that would never be found, accidental deaths and drownings. Summer sucked. A lot.

At the charming age of 13, Nico had eagerly been awaiting the return of his sister Bianca, who had been out late to a party. Nico had passed the earlier time looking through old boxes and had refound one of his old Mythomagic toys. He was excited to tell her as soon as she returned. When the doorbell rang, he imagined she had merely forgotten her keys. When he saw the two policemen at the door, he had thought she had just drank too much and got pulled over.

When the officer asked his father if he could identify the body, he pretended it was just a dream.

At the funeral, he realized he couldn't pretend anymore. He watched them seal her coffin in the mausoleum, and he felt a part of himself disappear. Bianca was his best friend, his idol. And now, Bianca was dead.

The cops had been as scarce with their explanation as they could have been. Bianca was driving home from a party with five other kids. They had been drinking earlier, and Bianca had driven off the road. They had hit a telephone pole head-on. Zoë Nightshade and Bianca di Angelo, who had been in the front two seats, were killed on impact. Thalia Grace, Annabeth Chase, and Luke Castellan had all been sent to the hospital with fairly serious injuries. Luke would have a scar that he would carry with him to college, while Annabeth and Thalia made it out without any visible marks. The only person who made it out of the crash unscathed was Percy Jackson.

Nico hated him. Honestly, he did. He blamed Percy for the accident, even though it wasn't his fault. He needed to blame someone to lessen the pain.

He hadn't been able to get over it that summer. Even worse was when the fall came. That's when he began seeing them.

He didn't realize they were dead at first. He just brushed past them without a second thought. Then, when he saw someone walk _through_ him, he decided to pay closer attention. He found, then, that they were everywhere. In the park. At school. Still waiting in line at the store. It scared him at first. How many were there? How long had they been there? New ones appeared all the time. Some of them seemed _drawn_ to him. It was creepy as fuck and he didn't enjoy it.

That winter, though, he actually made a friend. His name was Leo. He had bright eyes, ears that seemed pointed, and a head of massively curly dark hair.

He had died in a house fire during the first cold blast of the year. He was only 13.

At first, Nico didn't like the idea of befriending a ghost. He did, however, grow to tolerate the ghost of Leo Valdez. He was annoying, made terrible jokes, and sometimes walked in on Nico's privacy, but he respected it when Nico asked to be alone.

The second ghost Nico befriended was Hazel Levesque. She was sweet and confided to him that she thought the guy he played Mythomagic with was ' _totally_ cute!' She hung out and around the school while Nico was there. She had been killed in an alley a few streets away a few years before. Her body had never been found. She was 15.

Hazel was easier to get along with. Even so soon after the death of his sister, he felt the pain ease. Hazel's laugh was like her's. She didn't avoid Nico all the time like his sister had, though. It helped heal the pain of Bianca's death. It stung less when Percy walked by in the hallway at school. Nico could talk about her openly to Leo and Hazel without crying every time.

People noticed. Nico was becoming more open. He would talk to people more often, and he seemed to be acting like he had before the accident. He even made it an effort to be more open and friendly to the group of friends he was acquainted with during middle school.

Half the time, they joked that Nico was a brand-new person. He sort of was. Leo and Hazel had a hand in helping with that. They encouraged him to open up more, and he did. He was starting to get happier, and he evenly divided his time between his ghost friends and his living ones.

Then Hazel asked Nico to tell her mother she was alright. She wasn't hurting. She was happy. Nico had stupidly agreed.

The phone call was terrible, to say the least. When Nico mentioned Hazel's name, she grew agitated. After he had told her what happened to Hazel and what she wanted him to say, Ms. Levesque screamed at him to leave her alone and never contact her again or else she would call the police. He had barely managed to say he was sorry before she hung up.

Leo never asked him to contact his father.

Nico didn't ask him if he wanted him to.

Despite how much that had obviously bothered both him and Hazel, he couldn't let it show at school. He wasn't planning on worrying his only living friends.

When Jason and Piper first approached the topic of Nico going to Percy's first swim meet of the year, Nico refused. After several weeks of obviously practiced coaxing, Nico agreed. He had been promised two new packs of rare Mythomagic cards and a milkshake, Jason's treat.

To be honest, Nico was terrified. He didn't know if Percy would recognize him, or if he would even notice him. Nico was just a freshman. Percy was a junior and, at that, he was _popular_. Like, really popular. Nico has seen him being chummy with not only other juniors, but also sophomores, seniors, and even the other freshmen on the team.

He also had the most astounding green eyes Nico had ever seen.

Thanks to Hazel and Leo, Nico had been able to accept Bianca's death and that she had moved on as well. He didn't hate Percy. No, his feelings were far from hate. The opposite. Nico di Angelo had a huge, dorky frush on Percy Jackson and it was the worst thing that happened to him that spring.

Nico was practically shaking when he got out of Jason's car, Frank exiting behind him and Piper stepping out of her door. Seeing Percy in the hallway during school? He could deal with that. Seeing him on purpose around other people and having the possibility of him talking to him? Nico wasn't sure about that. Before he could turn around and head for the safety of Jason's truck, two hands planted themselves on his shoulder.

"No way, di Angelo. You aren't get out of this now." Nico did his best to glare at Jason. He heard a faint laugh and glanced towards the pool entrance, where Hazel and Leo were grinning in amusement and nodding him on. Facing defeat, Nico allowed himself to be herded to some seats that Thalia had saved for the four of them. Nico hadn't spoken to her much since Bianca and Zoë's funerals, and he weakly tried to smile back at her. It didn't seem convincing to him, but Thalia seemed satisfied with that.

Percy was in the first trials, so Nico wouldn't have to stay long. He remained silent as the others cheered Percy on, then Tyson, a freshman on the team. Unsurprisingly, Percy came in first and would advance to the rounds the nest day. Nico got up with the others, intending on getting out of there as soon as he could. He mumbled something about having to use the rest room and took off. While he was trying to find his way there, he turned a corner and nearly ran into another person.

"Waoh- hey, slow down!" Nico's heart nearly stopped, recognizing the voice. Just his luck, really. "Are you competing? The locker rooms are the only things back there." Obviously, Percy didn't realize the fact that Nico was nearly comatose in from of him. He reached out to presumably shake his shoulder. "Dude, are you-"

"Don't- don't touch me. Please." Nico almost flinched away from Percy's hand. He glanced up to him, frowning. Percy's eyes widened for a moment. He seemed to recognize Nico. It wasn't that hard, really. His eyes were darker than Bianca's were, and by now they seemed more tired than her's ever had. Despite the difference, their facial structures had been quite alike, and that seemed enough to make the identification. The atmosphere suddenly seemed to turn awkward. Nico's slightly worried eyes met Percy's stunned green ones. The silence stretched on for several minutes.

"...I was looking for the bathroom." Nico cursed himself mentally, not having wanted his voice to crack like it had. Percy seemed distracted for a moment before he realized the shorter boy had spoken, and he nodded instead.

"Oh, yeah. It's...um, it's back down the hall. There's another hallway that goes to the right. Second door on the left." Nico nodded and turned without a word, keeping his steps calm and even until he turned the corner. Then, he ran. He felt like he was going to be sick.

"Hey- wait, Nico?" He ignored Jason's surprised voice, pushing into the bathroom and locking the door. He could hear Jason's footsteps outside the door, and they didn't sound like they were going away any time soon. Despite that, Nico didn't move to open the door. Instead, he walked to the sink and began breathing deeply. He avoided looking in the mirror, splashing water on his face to calm himself down.

As he did so, Nico felt a rising sense of panic. It didn't feel like a handful of water on his face. It felt like his head had been dunked in it. A blast of what felt like cold water covered him, seemingly from no where, and Nico could barely open his eyes. He thought he could see the surface-of what, he wasn't sure. He opened his mouth to shout, but instead was met with a gush of salt water filling it. He felt another surge of panic as he saw a head of dark hair floating down. Nico could have screamed, seeing _his_ head floating into the darker depths. With a gasping cough, the water seemed to disappear and whatever just happened ended. He was back in the rest room. He was gasping, hands going to his throat. He was bone dry, but...what the _hell_ just happened? His mind began drifting back to what happened when he heard a knock at the door.

"Nico? We're getting ready to leave..." Piper sounded worried, and Nico wondered how long he had been in there.

"I'll be right out!" His voice was surprisingly strong and calm, despite what he'd just seen. He turned off the water and unlocked the door, seeing Piper's face relax in relief. The four of them didn't talk much as Jason dropped them off one by one. Surprisingly, he saved Nico for last. Before he could get out of the truck, Jason stopped him.

"Hey...Nico. Thank you for coming. I think it meant a lot to Thalia and Annabeth...And..And Percy." Nico was silence again before he turned to look at Jason with a smile.

"No problem. Just tell me where the bathrooms are next time." Jason looked relieved and laughed, waving to Nico as he got out of the truck. Nico waited until Jason drove away to open the door, where Leo and Hazel were eagerly waiting for him to tell them how it went.

At first, Nico didn't want to tell them about his vision. He mentioned the brief (and _highly_ awkward) meeting with Percy and the ghosts roared with laughter. He trailed off before he mentioned the bathroom and Hazel noticed, asking him if something else happened. Well, it was now or never.

"I think I had a vision," Nico admitted, looking at the two worriedly. Hazel seemed surprised.

"Really? That's...new." Leo nodded, looking interested as well. "What was it about?"

"Me, I think. I'm not really sure. But, in it...I think I drowned. It was cold and for some reason i couldn't make it to the surface. I think I died." There was silence after his short explanation. Leo was the first to speak.

"Okay, so no pools or swimming for you then, right?" Nico rolled his eyes and Hazel frowned, acting like she was going to hit Leo over the back of his head.

"Leo! This is _serious_! Nico could have seen himself dying! Don't joke about it!" Leo's face turned sour and he disappeared without a word. Nico wasn't surprised; he had just been a kid when he died, barely a teenager. He still had a lot of growing up to do. Hazel looked at Nico apologetically. "Are you sure it was you?" He shrugged.

"It looked like me. I could only see the hair, but...I'm pretty sure it was me. I was in the ocean." Hazel nodded, thinking.

"Well, Nico," she began, looking up to face him, "it seems like you really have to be careful." Nico almost snorted. That was an understatement.

"I know. Don't worry, Hazel, I will be. Hey..Can you go find Leo? He's-" 

"Just a kid, I know...Nico, you're a lot friendlier to him than before." Nico just looked at her, as if daring her to say it again. Hazel laughed before disappearing with a cheerful wave. Nico sat there for a few more minutes before he went to lay back on his bed. He had a lot to think about.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fwoo! I actually got this out a lot quicker than I thought I would! I'll be working on updating Sirena next, but after that I should have a pretty good pattern of alternating updates! I'm also planning on a possible Jasico oneshot over Spring Break, which is next week, so we'll see how that goes! Enjoy!! :D

The rest of the year passed without much incident, which was surprising. Jason, Piper, and Frank seemed to realize that he was starting to become more open and interested in being...well, a part in activities. He offered to go with them out more, which in itself was a miracle. Although he didn't go to another of the swim meets, he sometimes attended Annabeth's Academic meets (he made sure to avoid Percy as much as he could at those), and even ventured to go to one of Thalia's archery competitions.

Afterwards, he had let Piper console him while he tried to keep from crying in front of the others. Maybe going to the competition was too much, but Jason had mentioned to Nico about how important it would be to Thalia. Nico believed he was doing a good thing. He didn't count on being reminded of Bianca's favourite way to spend her free hours. As soon as he saw Thalia pick up the bow, he had almost ran out of the arena. Lights were dancing behind his eyes and he felt sick.

Nico knew he had worried the others. It showed when Piper found him huddled behind a trash can, near tears. She didn't say a word, only sat next to him in silence. She didn't try to touch him, but her calm presence was enough to allow him to relax. Piper was like that. Maybe that was why she had actually driven her own car instead of catching a ride with Jason.

Piper didn't make him say anything to her. She asked if he wanted to go home and he nodded in return. She didn't make him go back into the crowded stands. She disappeared quickly enough into the arena and came back with a smile, nodding Nico along to the car. He was glad that, when she came back from calling someone, she didn't ask who he was mumbling to. As she drove him home, she turned up the radio to some new pop song and hummed to it. Nico's eyes shut and he smiled, just listening for the moment.

When they arrived at his house, Nico didn't get out immediately. Piper didn't seem to mind. A few minutes passed and he glanced over to her, as if thinking about something. Maybe it was because he was nervous. Maybe if was the fact that he knew- just _knew_ \- that if he told someone, it would make this a whole lot easier on him. He had talked to Hazel and Leo about it earlier. They agreed it was a good idea, if he was ready.

"Nico, I-" "Piper, I'm gay."

They had both began speaking at the same time, but Nico's words seemed to be the most important ones here. Nico froze, as if he were deciding between jumping out of the car and running up to his house. He couldn't, though. If it weren't for Piper keeping a hand on the door lock button, it was the fact that he had to face this.

"Oh," was all Piper had to say at first. Nico couldn't blame her. He could have thought of a whole slew of different, better ways he could have said that. He avoided looking at her, silence lasting a few beats longer. "I'm glad you trust me, Nico. Honestly, I am. This...Well, I wasn't expecting that!" She laughed breathlessly and nervously, which Nico smiled slightly at. He hesitated only a moment before turning to look at her. Piper was smiling. That was a relief.

"So you aren't gonna kick me out of your car?" Nico asked, a wry smile on his face. Piper shook her head.

"Hell no! You know I give Reyna rides all the time. If my seats could be ruined because you're gay, I'd know by now!" Nico couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Alright, I see your point....And I think I see Persephone in the window. I'd better go before she thinks we're making out." Nico made a face at that thought. Piper burst out laughing and nodded.

"Right, right. Wouldn't want your image to be ruined," Piper laughed, reaching out and patting Nico's shoulder. He didn't flinch. He smiled and rested his hand on her's for a few seconds before getting out of the car and starting up the driveway.

He was right. Persephone was still at the window when he opened the door. Nico frowned when he saw her. "Can I ask why you were watching us at the window?"

"It isn't in good taste to make out with girls in their cars. At least invite her in next time." Nico rolled his eyes and didn't bother to respond to her. He stayed downstairs long enough to grab an orange and a caprisun before he trudged up the stairs to his room.

"Nico? We weren't expecting you back yet!" Hazel and Leo were stretched out on his bed, watching cartoons he had left on earlier.

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting it either. But, uh...the competition was a little too much too soon." Nico shrugged off his jacket and tossed it onto his chair. He moved to fall onto his bed, landing between Leo and Hazel. The ghosts sat up, making room for him.

"Really..? Geez, that sucks!" Leo's voice was loud, making Nico flinch a bit. Hazel leaned over and pushed at him, at which point Leo grew quiet. Nico looked over at them in silence, picking his next words as carefully as he could.

"I also, uh, talked to Piper earlier." He was met with quizzical stares. Nico sat up more, eyes focusing on the TV rather than the two staring at him. "She drove me home. I, um, told her. That I'm- yeah." Now the confused stares were shocked.

"Really? How did she take it?" Hazel was leaning forward, causing Nico to smile gently at her.

"She accepted it. Er- me. She was really cool about it." Hazel looked excited and threw her arms around Nico. He couldn't feel her hugging him like he could a regular human. There was only a slight pressure around his neck and shoulders. _You get used to it_ , he thought to himself as he did his best to hug her back

"Nico, that's great! I'm so glad!" Nico nodded, reaching up and patting where her hands were. His skin was beginning to get cold where she was touching him, and he cleared his throat a bit. "Huh? Oh- yeah, sorry!" Hazel laughed, letting go of him. The temperature thing was something you also got used to. Ghosts came in different temperatures, not all ice-box cold. They were affected by how they died. Hazel was cold. Leo was _seriously_ warm. It just depended on each one.

"Yeah, I am-" Nico was cut off from speaking when his phone began ringing. "...It's probably Jason. Give me a second, guys." He grabbed his phone from his pocket at the same time that Hazel and Leo disappeared. "Nico speaking. Who is it?" A laugh sounded from the other end of the line and Nico's suspicion was confirmed.

"Nico! Don't you even bother checking your caller ID? It's Jason." Indeed, Nico found out as he pulled the phone away from his ear momentarily. It did say Jason's name.

"Yeah, sorry. I was just checking."

"Right. Anyways, I wanted to tell you that the girl's team _swept_ their division. Oh-! The guys sucked, but luckily Frank was able to place individually. The girls and him are going to state!" Nico was barely able to make out most of what he said, but found himself forcing a smile.

"Really? That's great. Tell Thalia and Frank I'm glad for them- and the rest of the Hunters." That was what the school called their primarily female archery team. It wasn't surprising they'd be going to state.  
"...and Thalia was wondering if you'd want to come too." Nico realized he had missed half of what Jason had said. He asked him to repeat himself. "Alright, just once. I said that Thalia, the Hunters, and Frank were gonna have a bonfire out at the beach. There were gonna be some others, friends y'know, there too. Even Reyna was talking about showing up. Thalia and the rest of us were wondering if you wanted to come, too." Nico almost agreed. He could tell Thalia he was sorry about leaving early and even hang out with his friends.

Then Nico remembered the vision.

"Sorry. I don't think I can. I don't feel good, and I don't want to risk it," he lied. Well, it wasn't a total lie. He didn't feel good. He didn't want to risk drowning in the ocean. It just wasn't the total truth.

"Oh. Right." Jason sounded disappointed, and Nico felt guilty.

"...When they make nationals, I'll go. I promise." That got a cheer out of what sounded like more than one person. Jason probably had switched him to speaker at some point in their conversation.

"Sweet! I'll call you later and tell you how it went!" Nico rolled his eyes and hung up. Moments later, Hazel and Leo appeared.

"Was it tall, optimistic, and excitable?" Leo asked, a grin on his face. Hazel snickered.

"Yes, it was. He invited me to a bonfire. At the beach. I told him I couldn't make it." Hazel and Leo's expressions sobered and they nodded.

"That's a good idea. It's better to be safe than sorry." Hazel's voice was calm, but Nico knew enough about her to be able to tell that she was scared of that. Of him dying.

"Yeah." It grew silent before Nico spoke again. "Do you two wanna see what's on Netflix?" Leo cheered and Hazel nodded eagerly, glad for this distraction.

After five straight hours of watching _Kitchen Nightmares_ , Nico was getting ready to sleep. Hazel and Leo were dozing on his bed when he went downstairs to throw away the takeout he had ordered. Persephone and his father had left for a quick business trip out of town earlier, an hour into his marathon. The house was silent, something he preferred to the horrendous music Persephone insisted on playing all the time. Nico started up the stairs when he noticed someone standing inside his room. He assumed it was Hazel until he realized they were a lot taller than her.

Fear and dread began creeping up on Nico. He didn't speak as he walked to the door. Hazel had woken up and was talking softly, not wanting to wake Leo. The person standing in front of him was a ghost. They had to be, if they were talking to Hazel. It looked like they had been wearing a dark orange shirt and black shorts when they died. Their hair was black, it seemed, and pretty short.

The feeling of dread didn't go away. If anything, it grew the longer Nico stood there. Hazel hadn't noticed him yet. It sounded like she was explaining what was happening to the stranger. So, they had died recently. Hazel asked the strange ghost what had happened when they died.

When they replied, Nico almost fainted. The room was suddenly beginning to spin, and he hit the door frame. Hazel noticed him.

"Nico!" She jumped from the bed to steady him. Leo was slowly blinking awake.

"...Nico?" The ghost was male. He had turned when Hazel jumped up, and was staring at the small boy in astonishment. Nico looked back, vision tunneling. he felt his mouth go dry.

"No.." Now he could tell. The shirt wasn't dark; it had been drenched in water. He was wearing swimming trunks. Nico could see a necklace with beads from a summer camp around a tan neck. His eyes met green irises hidden behind dark, wet bangs.

It was Percy Jackson.

He was dead.

"No!" He felt cold as first Hazel wrapped her arms around him, then hot when Leo did the same. Percy was still looking at him. He couldn't be here. He was supposed to be at the bonfire. He was supposed to be laughing with an arm around Annabeth. Maybe he would even-

A flash of dark hair in water.

"Nico?!"

Gasping, cold water all around. Would Percy be cold if he touched him?

"Nico, come on-!"

Salty water filling his mouth as he tried to yell for help.

"I think he's remembering- Let's get him to the bed!"

Dark. Cold. An almost warm numb that spread through him as he felt conscience slipping away. _Oh, I see. Percy would be warm.._

Then, Nico di Angelo passed out.

When he came to, there were three worried faces hovering above him. Hazel, smiling gently when he focused on her. Leo, whose face lit up like a Christmas tree when he opened his eyes. He avoided it, but...Nico finally let his gaze go to Percy, who still looked surprised.

"What..?" Nico tried pushing himself up but stopped short when his head swam and he nearly blacked out again.

"You can see me. Annabeth and the others couldn't." Percy sounded amazed, and Nico shrugged.

"Yeah, I know. Shocking. 'I see dead people...'" When met with blank faces, Nico raised an eyebrow. "Sixth Sense?" Nothing. "One of the most iconic movies of all time?" Still more blank faces. "We're watching that later." He tried sitting up once more and was relieved when he didn't faint.

"So, Percy." Nico's voice was shaky. He couldn't believe this. Nico wanted Percy to not have to go through this confused and alone, though. A pair of sea green eyes met his own dark, dark blue ones. Percy seemed to be getting more uneasy. "You're dead. Does, um, does anyone else know?" Percy didn't answer for a minute.

"I don't know."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow it's been a while since I updated ;; I'm really sorry guys!  
> My dad was out of town with the computer for almost a month, and then I had to study and get serious for EOI's and an AP exam....which I'm taking next week. Yeah, not that fun. The good news, though, is that I should be getting a job this summer, and with a job means....money! So I should be seeing a computer somewhere in my future! :)  
> Unbeta'd as usual, I hope you all enjoy!!

“It was dark. I think…Maybe Tyson. He was out there too, swimming with me. But he hadn’t…hadn’t been drinking.” Nico had disappeared downstairs to get a drink before questioning Percy on what had happened. Now, he was sitting on his bed with Percy sitting on the other side. Hazel and Leo had disappeared before Nico went downstairs to give them some privacy.

“So you think your drinking had to do with it?” Nico asked bluntly. Percy nodded, looking a bit uncomfortable. “Right. How else would this have happened? Swim team captain and star, drowning. Percy shrugged.

“I didn’t think the currents would be that strong. They weren’t. I just…wasn’t in the right mind to swim.” The ghost’s shoulders sagged as he spoke. Nico got the idea that there was more to what had happened than that, but he didn’t bother pushing it. Not yet. He didn’t want Percy getting too upset with him and disappearing. He was still trying to get it into his mind that he was even dead. Against his better judgment, Nico reached out and tried to rest his hand on Percy’s shoulder. Another thing Nico had learned in the past year was that the dead- even the newly dead- could control if humans were able to solidly touch them.

Percy let him.

He was warm, but this was more than enough to confirm he was dead. Nico still didn’t want to believe it. Before he could stop himself, tears began building in his eyes. He fought them back for only a few seconds before he was overcome with loud sobs, shoulders hunching as he doubled over to try and muffle them. His free hand moved to cover his mouth and he curled even more into himself. He knew it wasn’t fair to Percy, crying like this even though he wasn’t the one who had died that night, but it wouldn’t stop.

Feelings flashed through Nico like a quick-spread fire.

The inklings of a crush when Percy had first come by their house. Bianca had told Nico to go to his room while her and her friends studied, but Nico had come down with his new Mythomagic cards anyways. The tugging sense he felt whenever he saw Percy. The feeling that still shook Nico when he saw those green eyes. Anger, though brief, after Bianca’s dead. A void, filled with conflicted emotions that Nico still felt.  
Caught up in the whirlwind of emotions and crying, Nico nearly forgot Percy was there. When he felt the slight pressure of a ghost body hugging him awkwardly, he was reminded. If anything, his crying was amplified. He leaned into the warm embrace, body shaking.

Percy didn’t say anything, and that probably helped. If he had, Nico would have continued crying for a while longer. Slowly, though, over the course of at least ten minutes, Nico’s tears and sobs subsided. He sniffled, reached up to wipe at his eyes with a hoarse laugh.

“Sorry. I, um, I’m not sure why I did that. Actually- I mean, I know we weren’t really like, uh, _best friends_ , but it still. I-it’s like w-when Zoë died too.” That last bit was a lie. Nico hadn’t cried for Zoë. Not like he had for Bianca, or like he just did. Percy nodded in understanding before letting go of Nico and sitting back on the bed.

“It’s fine. I guess, uh- I didn’t think you would really care that much.” Percy honestly sounded surprised. Nico sighed to himself, bracing for what he knew was coming. “I mean, I. I thought you hated me.” That was like a punch in the gut. Nico opened his mouth slightly, as if preparing to say something, but seemed to decide against it. Percy continued, uninterrupted. “You sure seemed like it. In fact- if anything really surprised me, it was you showing up at my swim meet.” Nico looked up in surprise, raising an eyebrow.

“You remember that?” He asked, staring at Percy like he had just unleashed the secrets of the universe. The ghost nodded.

“Well…yeah. I mean, I made it to state. And you showed up, so I just…I dunno, it just stuck out.” Nico merely continued to look at Percy, unsure how to respond to this. “You seem to remember it too.”

“…It’s just because you made state. I mean- not many kids at our school do, even the good swimmers. You and Tyson were the only ones.” Nico avoided looking at Percy. Instead, he turned himself away, starting to close off to him. He hadn’t gotten through as many questions as he had hoped, but…he didn’t feel like talking to him anymore. Not this much. “…You can stay in the guest room. I don’t suppose you have disappearing and moving places quickly down yet, do you?” The blank look he got was good enough. “Right. Just. Out my door, down the hall, it’s any one of the doors up here. Just stay away from downstairs, by the back of the house. That’s my parent’s room.” Nico spoke curtly, not once looking back at Percy as he scooted back on his bed. He waited for a few minutes and looked back, seeing that Percy was gone now. 

“...So, that went well!” Leo appeared in his chair, starting to spin around slowly. Hazel appeared on the edge of his bed a few seconds after.

“He looked a bit put off when he left,” she commented quietly, looking sorrier than Leo did. Nico shrugged, sighing.

“I couldn’t handle it much longer. It’s not...ugh. I really don’t think he fully understands what’s going on. I don’t know…” Nico moved, sighing to himself. “I’m going to have to act like I didn’t know when they call tomorrow. It’s probably going to be Jason. What if they come here? I can’t…I don’t know how to deal with this. I haven’t had this happen to someone I actually knew.” Nico’s voice was quiet and mostly kept to himself. He almost sounded scared, which was more than understandable.

“Nico…We’ll be there, but…you don’t have to answer them. You know that.” Hazel spoke softly, although it was evident that she was worried for him.

“Hah. Like I can really do that.” Nico scoffed, pulling his knees up to his chest. “I have to talk to them. I have to go through it all over again. I’m going to have to go to his funeral. All of it, knowing that I can still see him and that he’s still here. This isn’t fair!” Leo grew quiet, looking concerned. After a few moments, he spoke.

“…You’re upset about more than that, aren’t you?” He asked, tilting his head a bit along with the question. He seemed to be getting ready to say more, but Hazel shot him a look that silenced him.

“…Shut up,” Nico murmured, turning away from Leo and Hazel as he lay down. He didn’t bother pulling the covers up, opting to go to sleep where he was.

Once they were sure of him being asleep, Leo and Hazel jumped up and hurried out the door, appearing in several of the guest rooms until they found the right one. Percy was just sitting on the bed, staring off to the side, until he noticed them. He looked up, raising an eyebrow. “What do you want?”

“To talk. Sorry about Nico, he’s…Well, this is something more personal than he’s used to.” Hazel moved to sit on the edge of the bed and Leo did the same, both of them looking over at Percy without another word.

“What do you mean by that?” Percy questioned, adjusting himself to look back at both of them.

“Usually, when ghosts find themselves drawn to him, they aren’t people he knows. Leo was still in middle school, and at that he went to the school across town. Nico had no idea who he was. I was in high school, the one in the poorer section of town. I also died a while ago.” Hazel was patient with her answers, trying a lot harder to explain things fully. “He didn’t know either of us, or any of the other ghosts who come and go. That’s why…this is one of the harder ones for him.” She looked over to Leo and nodded, letting him take over.

“You know how his sister died last summer, right?” Leo asked, keeping his voice under control for once. Percy avoided eye contact, nodding silently. “After that, he started seeing the _fantasma_ \- ghosts. But there was one who he never saw. His sister, Bianca, she never showed up. Hazel and me, we think that she was able to move on after the crash. _Por el amor de Nico, espero que ella tiene_.” Leo pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his head on them.

“Move on? Like…go see the light?” Leo raised an eyebrow at him.

“Funny. But, I think that’s the gist of it. I wouldn’t know.” Hazel jumped in to start talking after that, figuring Leo wasn’t going to be much of a help now.

“It’s actually a specific kind of person who stays back; those who die alone, in tragic ways. I don’t even know where my body is. That’s enough to leave me here. I don’t mind, though…Nico’s nice company, when he wants to be…” Hazel smiled. Her eyes seemed sad, but the tone of her voice suggested otherwise. “…and Leo, of course.” She shot a look to the younger ghost, bringing a small grin out of him. “From what I’ve heard about Bianca…She died with someone, didn’t she?” Percy seemed surprised by the question, and Hazel gave a shrug. “Well, Nico doesn’t really talk about it. I can’t do much research on my own, so I have to rely on what I hear. No one really talks about it.”

“I’m not surprised. That…” Percy sighed, hanging his head. “It was pretty bad. A lot of us never really got over it, especially Thalia and the rest of the Hunters. Two of our school’s top archers, killed in a crash that could have been easily avoided.” His voice sounded bitter now, although Hazel wasn’t sure to whom. “She died with her girlfriend, Zoë Nightshade.” When Percy looked back up, he was met with surprised looks from Leo and Hazel. “I bet Nico didn’t know that. They just made it official that night.” Percy’s voice grew quiet and there was silence between the three ghosts.

“I’m not going to be able to see my parents again. Thalia, or Luke either, right? Tyson, Annabeth…none of them.” Hazel glanced over to Leo, then back to Percy.

“Hey…Percy, you can still see them. They just… _they_ can’t see _you_. Even I haven’t figured out how to manifest myself to regular humans, er- those who can’t see ghosts themselves. I’ve been dead for a while, too.” Percy nodded a bit, still looking put off.

“Of course. That makes sense.” Even if it made sense, so he said, Percy didn’t look like he wanted to hear that. “No contact with the living, but we can still see them…and they can’t see us. Except for-” His voice was hard and turned angry quickly, to which Hazel narrowed her eyes.

“Don’t take this out on Nico. He doesn’t want this anymore than you do, you know. Don’t tell me you weren’t going to- I heard your voice. Nico didn’t ask to see you, or me, or Leo; none of us. Don’t act like he did.” Her voice was almost like a whip, cutting sharply to the other two. Leo, seeming to sense the change between the two, disappeared without a word.

“I wasn’t going to.” Percy looked almost surprised for a moment before he caught himself. “It’s just…If he didn’t ask for this then how can he, you know, do it?” Hazel didn’t look as angry with this question, so he hoped he asked the right question. Even so, he was only left with a short sentence before she disappeared.

“We don’t know.”

Sighing and looking only a little angry, Percy sat back on the bed and closed his eyes, covering his face with both hands.

It was going to be a long night.


End file.
